Politics on the back foot as the Second Test takes centre stage

The sounds of summer have arrived, Christmas is fast approaching, and the second test is underway at the Gabba.

If there’s one thing that unifies the country, it’s cricket against our traditional foe, the English. 

However, the unity of purpose on the pitch is certainly not the case in our parliaments, and the summer recess could not have come fast enough in Canberra.

On the score board, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and his ALP Government have ended on a policy high with the passage of the new EPBC Act, recent defense and trade wins with the Trump administration, and the introduction of a world-first social media ban for under 16s in Australia. 

For the federal Liberal Party, Christmas can’t come fast enough as it tears itself apart. It makes England’s batting collapse at the WACA look almost respectable. If there is one ray of hope for the Liberals, it’s that any mooted leadership challenge to Sussan Ley has been postponed and bought her some valuable time. 

Back to the Federal Government. As SAS Group Director Johnathon Bacque writes in his Inside Word companion piece, there is fragility behind the huge ALP majority due to its low primary vote. However, while the Opposition remains shambolic, its ability to harness political discontent from the housing, immigration and cost-of-living crises has fallen flat due to a resurgent One Nation on its right flank.

With One Nation now polling between 15-18%, is it any wonder relevance-seeking opportunists like Barnaby Joyce are ready to hitch a ride on Pauline Hanson’s populist bandwagon?

Ironically, the Federal Government is very vulnerable due to dark economic storm clouds on the horizon. Inflation is ticking up; further interest rates cuts are on hold or may rise; and the fiscal budgetary position is worsening.  Hard decisions will need to be made in 2026 to cut expenditure and increase revenue through newer or higher taxes. Both are unpopular with an increasingly dependent population and a smaller PAYG workforce.

If there is one issue that could stump the government over summer, it’s energy policy. With rising electricity bills, a stretched grid and vulnerable reliability, watch out for black outs and white-hot consumers. Even the Opposition’s move to abandon its net zero target by 2050 failed to get political traction.

That said, while the federal Liberal Party continues to struggle, green shoots are emerging in Australia’s three largest states.

In Victoria and NSW, the state Liberal parties have replaced their male leaders with two women: 35-year-old Jessica Wilson in Victoria and 52-year-old Kellie Sloane in NSW.  Both are first-term MPs, both were elected unopposed, and both have enormous talent. The result sends a powerful message to the Liberal Party’s weakest voting demographics – women and younger votes who have left the party in droves.

Further afield in North Queensland, the LNP secured a 17% swing – the highest in 100 years – to win the state seat of Hinchinbrook from Katter’s Australian Party. Conversely, the state ALP recorded its lowest vote of only 8.3%. This was a very local election on local issues, but it demonstrates the game of politics can change very quickly. 

With parliaments across Australia now in recess for the summer, the only game that really counts is the Second Test – a chance for all of us to stand behind Team Australia and send the Poms home without the Ashes.